The other day we picked up a flat of great strawberries at the local festival, and thought it would be nice to have some shortcake. So I went to the grocery store and saw a pretty sorry looking cake for eight bucks. I could go out to a nice lunch for that amount.
Now I know I've got butter, sugar, eggs and flour at home, and having the Italian cooking chromosome, I know it will cost me a buck and take ten minutes to whip up a pound cake with no preservatives that will taste a lot better. So I passed on the grocery store cake and made my own.
On the way out of the store I also noticed a twelve pack of Coke was $4.99. I decided I can live without soda as well this summer, went home and brewed a pitcher of iced tea.
I'd reached my tipping point on those items. And as I thought about it, I'm wondering how many others have reached theirs as well in this economy.
Cup of coffee for four bucks or a pound of coffee for six? You make the call.
Bottled water for a dollar or filtered water from the tap for free? No brainer.
Drive the kids two blocks to soccer practice or take a walk?
While most of the sweeps stories have been assigned, NDs are always looking for those "one day hits" to fill in the holes. The economy is the number one story these days, and will remain so for awhile. You could do an economic story everyday and not run out of ideas.
Search out the tipping points in your market. At what point does the consumer say "enough!" and change the marketplace, and the way we live? Which items, services and luxuries will be the first to go? And will we go back to the mindset of the Great Depression, when (my parents told me) nobody threw anything out?
Economic stories need more than just reporting gas prices. Look for the inside story. Find creative people who are dealing with cutbacks. Don't just state the obvious, show consumers how to change their lives and save.
People vote their pocketbook, and if you can save them a buck, they'll vote for you in a ratings book.
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